Gyroscopic apparatus



Oct; 9,1945, R. J. WHITE I ,386,

- GYROSCOPIC 1 APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 9, 1945. v R. J. WHITE I 2,386,176 GYROSGOPIC APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1943 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 9, 1945 l 2,386,176 7 I omosoorrc APPARATUS Robert J. White, Chicago, 111., assignor to Hammond'Instrument Company, Chicago, 111., a

' corporation of Delaware Application July, 19, 1943, SerialNo. 495,313-

comm -101. 74-5) My invention relates generally to .gyroscopic apparatus and more particularly to an improved erection mechanismfor gyroscopes.

The invention is particularly applicable to gyroscopes of thetype shown in .the application of Laurens Hammond, Serial No. 463,643, filed October 28, 1942, and has for its primary object the provision of an improved motor control circuit and apparatus for causing automatic erection of h yr A further object is to provide an improved. gyro erecting mechanism and control circuits therefor.

description in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a gyro mechanism, portions of the casing being broken away to show the gyro erecting gear. train;

Figure 2 is afragmentary sectional view on, an enlarged scale showing the gyro controlled switch; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the .line 33 of Fig. 2; r

Other objects will. appear from the following reducing gear train ,42 by means of a reversible Figured is a horizontalsectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; s

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the motor reversing switch mechanism; Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken onthe line 66 of Fig. 5; Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the switch mechanism shown in Fig-5; and f Figure 8 is a wiringdiagram showing the motor control circuit. a l l Referring to Fig. 1 the gyro, mechanism is mounted in a suitable supporting frame l0 having a gimbal I2', mountedfor rotation about a verticalaxis, and agyro case 14 suitably mountedfor rotation about a horizontal axis in the gimbal l2 An electric motor case [6 may be at- 1 tached to the gyro case M and has its rotor normally on a horizontal axis as shown in Fig. 1, the motor case I 6 andgyro case being adapted to be held in the position shownby any suitable caging mechanism such as the mechanism indie cated generally by the reference character l8in Fig.1., Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the. gyro case M has ai'rame part 20- to which a pivot stud 22 is rigidly secured, the stud 22 projecting into a suitfrom each other and from a bracket 32, to which they are clamped bya screw 34. The bracket. 32 also carries an insulating steppedstop 36 against which the contact arms 30 and 3| are resiliently biased. The bracket 32 is rigidly secured to a supporting arm 36 which may be secured to the gimbal I2 in any suitable manner, as by rivets 38. The vertical gimbal I2 is provided withsuitable bearings and is adapted to be frictional and resiliently rotated about a vertical axis by means of gear 40 which is frictionally and resiliently connected to the gimbal pivot stud. The gear Ali is adapted to be. driven through a suitable speed motor 44. One of the shaits 460i the gear train, to which one of the gear and pinion assemblies is rigidly secured, projects throughthe lower plate of a gear trainhousing ia and has a bushing Ell (Fig. 6) rigidly'secured to the projectin end. An arm 52 is. rotatably mounted on the bushing but is frictionally constrained to move there: with by virtue of being pressed against the flange of the bushing 50 by a spring washer 5.4. The

arm 52 is preferably of insulating material such as a laminated phenolic condensation product and hasan opening 56 formed therein surroundend of the arm 52 and, as bestshown in Fig. '7, l is adapted to engage the projecting .end .of a

spring contact arm 62, this arm being cooperable with a relatively rigid contactarm 64, both arms 62 and .64 being rigidly clamped to a mounting bracket 66 secured to the frame 10 of the gyro,

a the switch arms 52 and 64., beingsuitably inf sulated from each other and from the bracket 66. L'Ihe arm 52whenin'full line position (Fig. '7) .opens'the switch A formed by the switch con tact arm 62 and 54 but when it is swungto the dotted line position permits fiexure of the switch arm 62 to close the switch A. Itwill be understood that when the motor 44 i rotating in one direction it will, due to the frictional connection between the arm 52 and the shaft 46, swin this arm to the full line position, while when the motor're'verses its direction of rotation it will swing this arm to its dotted line position.

In the wiring diagram, Fig'. 8, the motor 44 is illustrated as of theshunt wound'direct-current t p uhaving a rotatable armature 68 and two field windings B9 and 10. The .field winding 69 has approximately half as many turns as the winding 10, and the windings are opposed. Thus when only the winding 69 is energized the motor will rotate in one direction while when both windings 69 and T are energized the motor will rotate in the reverse direction.

It will be noted from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 that as the gyro precesses clockwise the pin 26, which is grounded to the iframe l0, first :contacts the switch arm 30, and after an additionalmovement through an angle in the order of 12 degrees, engages contact arm 3!. Upon counter-clockwise precession of the gyro the contact pin-2B breaks contact first with the contact arm 3| and then with the contact arm 30.

As shown in Fig. 8 the upper contact-arm 31 is connected by a conductor 72 with the winding 70, while the lower contact arm 30 is connected through the switch A with the conductor 12.

In describing the operation of the apparatus it will be assumed. that the gyro. has commenced clockwise (Fig. 1) precession, .(due to the application of. atorque to the gimbal, either because of rotation of the frameabout a vertical axis or because of the rotation of the motor 44) and that theswitchAis open. Suchclockwiseprecession will. causeengagement of the contact pin 26 with the switch arm 30 but, since the switch A is open, this engagementof theswitch arm 30 V will not have any effect. Continued-clockwise precession .ofathe gyro will cause the .contact .pin 26 to engage the contact arm 3|, resulting in the completion of a circuitfrom the +12 v. terminal ofthepower supply (suchas-a battery) through the winding 10, conductor 1.2,.switch arm 3|, contact pin 26 to the grounded terminalof the power source. windings Bland!!! will beenergized and hence thelmotor 4.4 willreverse'its direction of rotation. .Such reversal will causethe arm '5.2,to be frictionally driven. clockwise, resulting in closure ofthe switch A. Such. rotationof the motor 44 inthe reversedirection will,. byapplying atorque to the :gimbal [2 .inthe proper direction, cause precession of .thegyro. in a counter-clockwise direction.

.Thus the contactpinZB willmove'away from the ..switch.arm J31, but the. circuit through the winding 10 will stilllbe completed through the switch A, andLlowercontact, arm 30 and contact pin 26, and therefore the. counter-clockwise precession will continue. When,.upon.such continuedcounter-clo'ckwise precession, the contact .pin 26-moves away. from the. switch arm 30,the energizing circuit forlthe winding "10 will .be'broken' and .the motor 44 will. again reverse itsrdirection and-apply a torque to the gimbal. |2= in a direction-to,.produce clockwiselpreces sionof the gyro. Immediately upon this second reversalofdirection .of rotation. of the motor 44,..the.arm;52 will be-swung to its full line position (Fig. '7) thereby opening the switch A-and completingone cycle of operation.

By virtue of the: spacing-of theswitch arms 30. and 3lthe precessional. oscillation of. the gyro casing will take, place through asmall angle in the order of 12. Such oscillation takes place continuously-while the-apparatus is in operation. The period-ref: such oscillation may be in' the order of 10' to' 15 seconds, depending upon *the particular use to which the apparatus. is being put.

Since the angle throu'ghwhichrthe gyro casing'may oscillate. isaccurately' determined by the operation of the'switches 30,- 3 I the effect of a sub- .Under thesecircumstances both of the stantially frictionless bearing for the vertical gimbal I2 is obtained.

It will be noted that the circuit for control of the motor 44 is a simple circuit not involving the use of a relay, thus improving the reliability and durability of the apparatus and making it possible to manufacture the apparatus at a lower cost than if relays were utilized.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention,'it will beunderstood'by those skilled in the art that it is capable of embodiment in various modified forms. I therefore desire by the accompanying claims to include within the scope of my invention all such variations and modifications :bywhich substantially the results of theinvention may be obtained through the use -ofsubstantially the same or equivalent means;

I claim:

1. In a gyroscope erecting apparatus the combination of a gyro case, a .gimbal vfor supporting said case, a reversiblemotor having direct and reversing field windings, africtional. drivingconnection between said motor and. saidgimbal, a first switch, a switchactuator operatively associated with saiddriving connection to open said first switch promptly upon commencement ofrotation of said motorinone .directionland to close said firstswitchpromptly upon. commencement of rotation of said motor'in the opposite direction, a pair of contact switches successively closed by precession of said gyro case inone direction and successively opened in reverse order upon precession of said gyro in the opposite direction, and parallel circuits capable of energizing said reversing winding, one of said parallel circuits including said first switch and the. first closedcontact switch in series, and the other .0f.said circuits including saidsecond closed contact switch.

2.'In an erecting mechanism for gyroscopes,

. the combination of a reversible electric motor,. a

. motor to causelrotation in one direction, a. pair of circuits in, parallel either of whichwhen completed causes rotationof said. motor. in a. reverse direction, a pair of switches successively closed upon precessionlof said. gyro. case in onedirection and successively opened in reverseorder upon precession of said gyro casein the opposite direction, there being one of said, switches in each of saidparallel circuits, an additional switch. in one of.said circuitS,, and means opening andclosing said additional switchinresponse to the direction of rotation of said motor.

' 3. In an erecting, apparatus for gyroscopes, the combination of a. gyro case, agimbal supporting said case for rotary movement on a horizontal axis, means formounting said gimbal for rotary movement ona vertical axis, a, motor having a continuously energized direct Winding .and areversing winding opposed to saiddirect winding and being approximately twice as e'fiective as, said direct winding, and switch means responsiveboth to the direction of precession of saidgyro case and to the direction of rotation of said motor and operative to complete energizing.cirCuitsOf-said reversing winding whenever said gyro precesses through a predetermined'anglefrom its normal position in one direction and during the time that precession-takes place in the-opposite direction.

ROBERT J. 

